Meet Pankaj Tanwar, Managing Director of Climate Services
Pankaj is a dynamic leader who thrives on building meaningful initiatives and driving impactful sustainability solutions.
Meet Pankaj, CarbonBetter’s Managing Director of Climate Services. Pankaj manages the Climate Services team, which supports clients across their sustainability journey—including developing sustainability and ESG strategies, quantifying and disclosing environmental impacts, creating pragmatic decarbonization roadmaps and enabling the reduction of environmental footprints through insetting and purchasing high-quality carbon offsets. His extensive experience includes seven years at McKinsey & Company and leadership roles in the food service and energy sectors. At CarbonBetter, Pankaj is passionate about building an organization that embodies its mission and values, fostering a collaborative team and empowering each member to contribute to the company’s growth.
Pankaj, what do you love about working at CarbonBetter?
Three main reasons I love working at CarbonBetter are:
- Building something meaningful: I love building an organization which truly embraces its mission and lives by its values of driving meaningful impact in the world we live in.
- Amazing team: We have an amazing team of talented and collaborative individuals who are passionate about sustainability and driving outsized impact while having a ton of fun!
- Empowerment and entrepreneurship: We have a very flat organization. Every member of CarbonBetter team is empowered to take initiative and contribute to the growth of the team.
What does your day-to-day look like at CarbonBetter?
My time at CarbonBetter is split between three main tasks:
- Building the CarbonBetter brand in the market to ensure we continue to remain the sustainability service provider of choice for clients in our target industries.
- Driving profitable revenue growth by identifying and engaging potential clients.
- Developing internal structures to support a growing organization, excite incoming talent and achieve our growth objectives.
“We have an amazing team of talented and collaborative individuals who are passionate about sustainability and driving outsized impact while having a ton of fun!”
Pankaj Tanwar on what he likes about working at CarbonBetter
Do you have any personal or professional goals that you'd like to share?
My professional goal is two-fold:
- Develop CarbonBetter's Climate Services division into a leading sustainability and decarbonization consulting firm recognized in the industry for its significant impact and exceptional client service.
- Foster a workplace culture that attracts highly talented sustainability professionals and provides an environment where they can thrive.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Don't overthink, "focus on the controllables," and leave the rest to destiny.
Do you have any personal sustainability habits that are important to you?
I've transformed my diet to include plant-based foods at least five days a week. Additionally, we are a household committed to reducing the use of single-use plastics. (My daughter leads the charge on this!)
Where did you grow up? What's something interesting about your hometown?
I grew up all over India as my dad was in the Army and we moved every 2 years. Having said so, the longest I stayed in one place was a boarding school from Grade 5 to Grade 10 in a remote hill station which is where I met my wife. (We were classmates!)
Tell us about your family:
I am married to an amazing wife, Shruti, and blessed with two young children: an 8-year-old daughter and an almost 5-year-old son. I prioritize spending quality time with family and currently find myself alternating between teaching my son how to play basketball and conducting science experiments with my daughter.
What is something that people are usually surprised to learn about you?
I was once offered a role in a Chinese movie!
What are some of your hobbies?
I love playing sports! These days I am playing cricket and tennis, although my favorite sport is basketball.
Have you taken any personality tests (Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, etc)? If so, tell us about your personality and what it means!
I have taken Myers-Briggs twice and both times my test has remained relatively consistent. I am an INFP and my personality is quite aligned to how Myers Briggs describes it: individuals who are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceiving. INFPs are known for their deep sense of empathy, creativity and strong personal values. They are introspective and enjoy exploring ideas and possibilities, often driven by a desire to understand themselves and others. They are also known for their open-mindedness, adaptability, and ability to think outside the box, often excelling in creative pursuits.
What's something you've learned recently, or something you want to learn?
I enjoy exploring the dynamic world of sustainability, particularly focusing on climate science and the innovative technologies being developed to help us achieve our climate goals.
Thanks for sharing, Pankaj! We are so lucky to work alongside you every day. Stay tuned for the next team feature in our Life @ CarbonBetter series.
